Title: Rumpelstiltskin
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Publisher: Dover Publishers
Publication Date: 1992
Genre: Traditional Fiction Fairy Tale
Audience: Gr. 3, 4, 5

Overview: A captivating story about a poor miller who sold his beautiful daughter to the king as a way to make money. The miller told the king that his daughter could spin gold out of straw. Fascinated by this, the king told the miller to bring the daughter to his castle the following day. However, the beautiful daughter had no idea how to turn straw into gold and her life depended on her being able to do that! While she wept about being in a room where she would probably spend her last night, a little man came in who traded her necklace for spinning the straw into gold. The king then moved her to a bigger room the next day, and an even bigger room on the third day, each with the same goal. Each night the little man came and traded with her until she had nothing left to trade, when he decided to take her first born child in exchange for the gold. She accepted. When it came time for her to give up her child she was distressed and the little man gave her three days to find out his name or else the child would be his forever.

Activity: Have the children create a whole new person. If they could have a completely different name, what would it be? If they could change their appearance, what would they look like? Have them draw a picture of their new appearance and write their new name under the picture.

Reviewer’s Name: Krista Jensen